I was thinking of buying a Disneyland travel guide to help plan our trip - but that was BEFORE I found this site & the WEALTH of information you all have right here at my fingertips !!! :D
So many of you here are fortunate enough to visit the park regularly and get the inside scoop on stuff that us occasional visitors just wouldnt normally find ourselves in just 2 or 3 days ... SO IM TAKING ADVANTAGE OF YOU !! :p

Ive been reading the secrets etc ... here , but there is just sooo much that it can get overwheming & I just simply dont have the time to read all the archives.
(especially when I have to skip past 10 million posts on a "secret bathroom" debate or the diffence between a merry-go-round and carousel !! ha )

Im assembling a list to staple to our park map & use as our own "WALKING TOUR" to keep handy while we are buzzing around
( I can imagine my family is going to get sick of me saying,
" STOP ! ... we have to see something interesting here ! " every 5 minutes .. haha ! )

I do know now that I will be keeping my eyes peeled for the infamous "Maynard" ... hoping he is still at the park - not even sure where to look, but I WILL be looking!
(he & of course we'll be looking for Peter Pan - my daughter's future husband ...heehee)

And we were already clued in on the "Partners Statue" profile the last time we were at the park ( blush .. we did get a good giggle out of it ! )

Im not really interested in how things work (ie: how the rolling ball effect works on indy etc )

But I LOVED the little tid bit on the Eeyore Parking sign in the Indy line right where it used to be in the parking lot - those little tid bits are SO cool !!

As far as food stuff not to be missed ... we will be having a breakfast buffet at Goofys & Lunch at Blue Bayou ( I hear we MUST have the monte cristo & deep fried cheescake ... I guess I'll be bringing my tennies and doing a few laps around the park after lunch to work it off :p )
& a family tradition of ours is to always have corn dogs at the end of main street - behind the cart where we can watch for characters to come out of the secret gate !

OH .. one more thing - last time we were at the park, there were kids that got to be IN the parade ... I guess they were chosen early in the day .. is that a normal thing ? .... Id love any info on that

I'll paste on here what we have so far .. take a look & PLEASE let me know of any other GOOD SECRETS to add, or SPECIAL things to look / listen or even smell for :p (someone mentioned the candy shop) !!

So here is what I have so far :
************************************************** ********

* all castle spires, except the one on the far left looking towards the castle from main street, are gold leafed.
the idea of having one not made of true gold is that "Disneyland will never be complete"!

* the central castle window remains dimly lighted during the firework as a tribute to "Walt looking over the show".

* I've recently noticed jumping fish in the fish pond across from Big Thunder Mountain. Apparently left over from the Mine Train Ride

* In Indy it is the Eeyore Parking Lot sign, up in the roof rafters of the movie room in the que, right where it was in the Parking Lot.

* If you ask, you can ride up in the captains area of the Mark Twain. They let you operate the bell and whistle and you get a river pilots license. I don't know who had more fun me or the kids!

* Sounds to listen for …I've heard the man taking a cold shower above the area in Main Street where the lockers are.

I've heard a jazz band practice over the charcoal sketching/restroom area in NOS.

There's also people gossiping on an old fashioned phone in one of the Main Street shops. And there's the police phone and manhole in Toon Town.

* About 9 pm, go to the Hungry Bear, and go sit at the very back along the river. You get to watch all the Fantasmic stuff go by and change. You can talk to the pirates and they talk back, often in character. There is another spot but my son doesn't like me to give away his special spot. (Let's just say its over by where the Mark Twain docks....)

* Gotta see PUSH and the trash can guys!
Push comes out around 10am (sometimes, I have seen him as early as 9:45am) and stays out till 5pm. He has 15 minute sets and takes 30 minute breaks in between sets.
Like someone said, City Hall can give you his times. I like to watch Push and the Laughing Stock, Co. (in front of the Golden Horseshoe) on the weekends.

* See Billie Hill and the Hillbillies, and the preshow in front of the Golden Horseshoe

* If you'd like to meet Mickey in a more private setting and spend a little extra time with him then go to his Toontown House where he greets guests in the movie barn at the back. For the shortest wait get there as soon as Toontown opens.

* Get to the park on a non-early entry day, right when the park opens (get in line 15-30 minutes before that.) For example, if the park is scheduled to open at 9:00 am on a non EE day, they open main street at 8:30, so get to the gates, tickets in hand around 8:15. When I was there they did a fun countdown at the main gate and then let everyone on to main street.

* see the Fireworks, they are awesome. Watch from Main Street or in front of the castle to see all of the effects.

* the firehouse is a cool place for kids to explore, and in the afternoon they have a flag retiring ceremony and also some more character games/interactions that are fun (Cruella de Ville was there, the Disneyland Band was playing her theme song, and she rounded up on-lookers to "model" and march around the square

* Purified, filtered water in the fountain outside first aid station to fill up water bottles !

bekky

02-08-2006, 09:07 PM

WOW ! .... I must say that I am shocked that no-one has had any good ones to add to my list ......... did I get them all ??!!

I must be good :p

(of course Im kidding Hope there are some more treasured SECRETS & MUST SEE'S coming my way )

Im off for the evening ... ;) happy dreams everyone

WITron

02-08-2006, 09:44 PM

F.Y.I. The lamp that stays lit is not in the castle, but above the firehouse in Walt's apartment that he used whe he visited the park. Also the spire story is an urban legend, a nice one, but still an urban legend.

One thing to add is if you board the train at Main Street ask the conductor to ride on the tender, which is right behind the engine. You have to make a round trip if you do.

bekky

02-08-2006, 10:07 PM

[QUOTE=WITron]F.Y.I. The lamp that stays lit is not in the castle, but above the firehouse in Walt's apartment that he used whe he visited the park. Also the spire story is an urban legend, a nice one, but still an urban legend.

Thanks for clarifying ! .... everything I have compiled so far is literally copied and pasted from previous posts

Malcon10t

02-08-2006, 10:38 PM

<<one more thing - last time we were at the park, there were kids that got to be IN the parade ... I guess they were chosen early in the day .. is that a normal thing ? .... Id love any info on that >>

That was the Parade of Stars. A couple hours before the parade, they would go around Main Street and select people to be in the parade. My kids were in it once. My son loves his picture in a Tu-tu. He was 11 or 12 at the time, and is now 17. They had a blast doing it.

sambo

02-11-2006, 03:46 PM

Firehouse light - not castle. Take the Walking in Walt's Footsteps tour if you can.

All the castle spires are gold, and most of the turrets are jeweled or bedecked in some fashion. The five big crowns have ornamentation commemorating one decade in the 50 years - see if you can figure which is which decade.

When you enter the castle from the drawbridge, stop inside for a moment and listen to the music.

Don't miss the evil queen opening the curtains and looking out from the big window over Snow White. Stand and watch for it - you won't have to wait more than a couple minutes.

Behind NOS, near the restrooms you can hear coming from one balcony nearest the Mint Julep Bar the "VooDoo" lady speaking.

In the Mad Hatter shop behind the teacups - watch in the mirror with the caterpiller on the frame. The Cheshire Cat appears and dissappears.

Look for Bones on Indiana Jones. We finally got to see him for the first time last October.

Oh, there is so much more...

Amy1118

02-11-2006, 08:48 PM

What a great thread! I'm a WDW veteran but am making my 1st trip to DL since 1978. Keep upnalln the details. The little, exclusive things are what make Disney so special!

Thanks for all the hints!

bekky

02-11-2006, 11:49 PM

Behind NOS, near the restrooms you can hear coming from one balcony nearest the Mint Julep Bar the "VooDoo" lady speaking.

Ok .. Im not up on all the abbreviations ... what does NOS stand for ??

Ok .. Im not up on all the abbreviations ... what does NOS stand for ?? :)
NOS = New Orleans Square

MommyTo3Boys1Girl

02-12-2006, 07:28 AM

Even though I am a DLR veteran, there are some things on here I wasn't aware of. Like the Eeyore sign in Indiana. AND going to the Hungry Bear to watch them getting ready for Fantasmic. COOL!

One more to add, look for the moose, buffalo and deer, in Pooh. Just as you leave the Heffalump room, look back, and they will be on the top of the wall behind you, the same place they were hanging as part of the Country Bears show. Even my DH found this amusing.

disneyhound

02-12-2006, 07:55 AM

I must say that I am shocked that no-one has had any good ones to add to my list...
I skipped most of your original post, got the jist of the thread in peoples responces. I would agree you should throw in a tour.

Bekky: Loose the pink text, hard to read... It's the topic, not the text color that invites people to read and answer. IMHO. :)

bekky

02-12-2006, 10:24 AM

One more to add, look for the moose, buffalo and deer, in Pooh. Just as you leave the Heffalump room, look back, and they will be on the top of the wall behind you, the same place they were hanging as part of the Country Bears show. Even my DH found this amusing.[/QUOTE]

thanks ... thats a good one to add !

Loose the pink text, hard to read... It's the topic, not the text color that invites people to read and answer. IMHO

ok - Disneyhound .... most of our emails around here go out pink - but I'll lose the pink & keep it black for ya :p thanks for the suggestion

Everyone have a good day !

ktrm

02-12-2006, 11:14 AM

In the Mad Hatter shop behind the teacups - watch in the mirror with the caterpiller on the frame. The Cheshire Cat appears and dissappears.

I thought the Mad Hatter shop was on Main Street? Are there two?

kuusimo

02-12-2006, 04:14 PM

I thought the Mad Hatter shop was on Main Street? Are there two?

There are two. The one on main street and the other one is by tea cups/Alice/Mr. Toad's ride.

mainstreet54

02-14-2006, 10:04 PM

Ask a cast member to give you a tour of the Disney Gallery. This was going to be Walt's apartment but, he died before it was complete. They give you a lay out of what each room was to be. You'll notice behind the checkout counter there are cabinets and a fridge.

findin mickeys

02-14-2006, 10:29 PM

Look for Bones on Indiana Jones. We finally got to see him for the first time last October.

Okay, who is Bones and where on the ride is he?

Tigertail777

02-15-2006, 01:03 AM

Bones is very hard to catch, he is one of the skeletons in the skeleton chamber (sorry dont know what else to call it since the wind doesnt blow in there anymore like it used to) he has a mickey hat on his head.

In the Indy line, there is a bamboo pole that is bent a bit, pull on it for a surprise (if its working).

Also in the Indy que; there is a rope sticking out of a excavation hole with a sign that says do not pull, if you pull it you will hear an exasperated excavating archeologist LOL.

You probably know this, but Indy has 3 entrances once on the ride, and randomly chooses one of the 3; riches, future visions, and eternal youth.

I dont know if its still open to the public, but Tiki room is the only attraction with its own bathroom (and a themed one LOL), a hold over from when it was going to be a dinner and show restaurant originally. in the que area of tiki off to the side of the building is a little sign that points out an elevator this goes to some of the show elements below in the computer room.

You gotta try a Dole whip if you like pineapple flavor at all, its in the stand next to the tiki room.

Unless the policy has changed, they used to sometimes let guests "wake up" Jose with the pointer stick if they ask ahead of time.

The god of time (ummm cant remember... maui?) his water dipper that goes up and down, Rolly Crump designed as a joke (a phallic symbol) but Walt thought it was kind of funny himself (its polynesian legends after all, they get kind of "earthy" sometimes) so they built it as pretty much how he drew it. (I just know I am gonna get flak for this one).

Cheap souvineers and fun times: in the Pieces of Eight shop there is the Fortune Red machine (one of the last pieces left from the old pirates arcade) for a quarter ( I think it still is?) you get a fortune card that is Disneyland themed. If you keep a careful eye some of the cards are VERY dated, one of them refers to the old rainbow mine train ride. Its a nice piece of old Disneyland nostalgia anyone can afford.

In the same vein, inside the mercantile traders shop in adventureland is the shrunken head ned machine, which a shrunken head "jungle witch doctor" will tell your fortune and give you a "prescription card" for either 25 cents or 50 cents.

When its working (I still havnt caught it working myself yet) there is a fun phone booth in adventureland over by Indy. There is also a Aladdin talking lamp fortune thing in the building adjoining mercantile which is neat especially if the lighting and puff of smoke work on the lamp.

I am not sure if its the only remnant left or not, but on tarzan treehouse the "mind thy head" sign is a left over from swiss family treehouse. The treehouse walking order was reversed when it was converted to tarzan; they made the exit the entrance and vice versa. Those steep steps getting up used to be the exit, the leisurely climb down used to be the entrance (to give you chance to sit down as you climbed up there were and still are benches on the level tiers). Down at the bottom in the "base camp" if you listen to the record player you will hear the swiss-a-polka.

In fantasyland, two rides still have their original ticket booths from the old ticket per ride days (though they are disguised). Alice in Wonderland; the giant mushroom with the Alice book on top is the ticket booth if you look close at one of the round "spots" on the mushroom you can see where the window was. One top of the mushroom during the ride when you are on the second level, you will see the caterpillers shoes, this is to mark the spot where a caterpiller figure originally was (it used to smoke a hookah and steam "smoke" came out of the hookah, this was deemed not PC and they moved him to a less visible position inside). The other ticket booth is the storybookland ride; the lighthouse (now painted gold for the 50th) was the ticket booth for this ride.

On snow white, at the entrance there is a gold book on a stand with a gold apple, if you touch the apple you will hear a message.

In the mad hatter shop by the teacups in fantasyland, they still use the hand embroidery machines and will embroider your name for free on a hat when you buy it. On these machines look at the spindle part there are tiny Alice characters dancing around. SOmeone already mentioned the mirrors; one is behind the counter and one opposite on the far wall. If you look up into the top rafters of this shop there is more alice theming.

Sort of between frontierland and New Orleans Square, there is a petrified tree stump, Walt gave this to Lillian one year as a anniversary gift. There is a plaque on it telling about it.

The New orleans train stop, has a telegraph office across the way. If you listen you can hear the clicking, thats morse code and is the first part of Walts opening day speech in code.

umm I am starting to dry up here LOL. If I can think of anything else later I will post it. There are tons of interesting details in Disneyland if you keep your eyes and ears open.:D

The old man

02-15-2006, 09:03 AM

The New orleans train stop, has a telegraph office across the way. If you listen you can hear the clicking, thats morse code and is the first part of Walts opening day speech in code.

I believe this is not Morse code but a predecessor to it (or one that was in use concurrently with it.)

David

ktrm

02-15-2006, 10:02 AM

wow tigertail 777 thanks so much for all the ideas. Is there anything cute and secret like this at Disneyland California Adventures? I know a friend of mine told me about all the special Disneyland themed Mr. Potato Head accessories you can get at Engine Ear Toys. Any other secrets?

bekky

02-15-2006, 12:09 PM

[QUOTE=ktrm]wow tigertail 777 thanks so much for all the ideas. QUOTE]

YES ... Thanks Tigertail777 ! the list gets even longer ;) should be fun searching out all these little treasures

Tigertail777

02-15-2006, 12:28 PM

(Thanks old man I had no idea thats very interesting to know!:D )

lets see... DCA... well I have only been a few times but off the top of my head...

On soarin there is a hidden Mickey on the golfball that almost hits you, watch quick or you will miss it (the golfer is purported to be Eisner himself). Take note of how many smells you can smell on different parts of the ride there should be at least 3; Oranges, grapes, ocean saltwater ( I think there was supposed to be pine too but not sure).

If at all possible you should ride the Sunwheel, its a type of ride called a wonderwheel and was popular in the old Coney Island. There are only about 4 left in the entire world now, including the original one at Coney Island that is still working.

I seem to recall there being some funny injokes on the cereal box entrance to bugs land... not sure. One of the overhead giant clovers that are used for shade in that area is four leaved. In its tough to be a bug, in the que look at all the "broadway bug" posters, and listen to the music its broadway bug style and pretty hilarious.

In the animation building, when you go into the magic of animation (it may have had the name changed since I went) there is a magic mirror on the wall that comes to life, a lot of people miss this and pass it by as it takes a minute or two to come to life. In the beast Library be sure to stick around for the full cycle of the room its really fascinating to watch all the details spring to life. The entire anaimation building is worth giving a good deal of your time to exploring if you havnt done so... I am still trying to figure out how they did that ursula effect, I think its some kind of peppers ghost illusion but layered, but not sure.

By the bathroom area towards the front of the park are bas releif murals of the movie industry, they are kind of blatant rip offs of the same thing from universal, but neat to see nonetheless.

You may want to see golden dreams, rumor has it that it may go bye bye soon (I miss it every time I go, I think because I miss that bridge that connects to Paradise Pier and tend to go around the circumfrence of the park).

In muppetvision, if you look back behind the audience during the cannon sequence you can see swedish chef in the film room having problems with the film, a injoke pointing to the ending sequence of the muppet movie. Also be sure to watch the little penguin orchestra in the front. If you stay after most of the crowd has left and watch closely, you will see the cannon ball holes in the walls "reset" (best to be up front to see this). Oh yes... and dont forget to watch the tv moniter in the que to see the rat do his impression of mickey.:D

Cant think of a lot more.... may want to ask the DCA fans to chime in here. Hope it helped some.

Tigertail777

02-19-2006, 01:17 PM

Come on people, especially you fans of DCA I would like to know more details to look for next time I go as well. You big fans of DCA; what are the little areas and things you enjoy the most? What little intricate details do you really like there? What are things that most people would miss, that you would like to point out?

Same for Disneyland, I always love to learn more tidbits about the park and attractions.... anyone got anymore?

MommyTo3Boys1Girl

02-19-2006, 10:31 PM

Tigertail777, Thanks a ton. Even being a DLR veteran, I still am fascinated at the things I have yet to see!